High definition EEG

• US 10,441,189 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2015
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cahan, Amos, Deligianni, Hariklia, Hsueh, Pei-Yun S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Behringer, Luther
• Application Number:
  US14/969,856
• Publication Number:
  US 20170164861A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,400 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/291 for electroencephalography [EEG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/30 Input circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6803 Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7203 for noise prevention, reduction or removal

Abstract

A method, apparatus and system for measuring electrical activity generated within a brain is disclosed. A headpiece having a first transistor is placed in contact with a head that contains the brain to bring the first transistor into electrical contact with the head. An electronic signal is generated at the first transistor in response to the electrical activity generated within the brain. The electronic signal is processed at the headpiece in order to measure the electrical activity.

Claims

1. A system for measuring electrical activity generated within a brain, the apparatus comprising:

a headpiece including a stretchable substrate,

an integrated circuit formed on the stretchable substrate,

an insulating layer formed on the integrated circuit,

a plurality of electrodes arranged on a surface of the insulating layer, the plurality of electrodes configured with fixed relative positions to provide a spatial resolution of less than 1 centimeter over the brain,

a plurality of vias extending through the insulating layer, each of the plurality of vias connecting the integrated circuit to an electrode of the plurality of electrodes, wherein the headpiece is placed in contact with a head that contains the brain to conform the substrate and integrated circuit to the shape of the head to bring the plurality of electrodes into contact with the head, wherein the integrated circuit includes;

a plurality of FinFETs that perform signal acquisition, signal analysis, noise reduction and pattern recognition, and

a processor that receives signal features and sensor locations from the plurality of FinFETs and provides a diagnostic interpretation based on the electrical activity in the brain; and

a remote processor for receiving the diagnostic interpretation from the processor and showing the diagnostic interpretation at a display.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit conforms to a shape of the head in order to bring the plurality of electrodes into contact with the head.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein a second electrode is at a fixed separation distance from a first electrode and the processor processes the electrical signal using the fixed distance.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the headpiece further comprises a wireless transmitter for transmitting data to the remote processor.